Fire-escape



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

r J. C. STODDARD.

FIRE ESCAPE. .No. 292.265. Patented Jan. 22, 1884.

Y NlTED STATES PATENT met.

. JOSHUA c. stronnnnnf on SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIREQESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters- Patent No. 292,265, dated January 22, 1884.

Application filed April 26, 1883. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern Be it known that I, JOSHUA O. STODDARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Combined Ladder and Fire-Escape, of. which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in combined ladder andfire-escape, the object being to combine .with a projecting track fixed on the face of a building a ladder supported and capable of being moved on said track to different positions, and an elevatorcar, together with devices for'hoisting and lowering said car and means for arresting the movement of said car at any point on theladder, to be operated by the occupants oft-he car.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 illustrates a part of a building having thereon a projecting track, from which is suspend ed two combined ladders and fire-escape cars-one a front and one a side view--constructecl according to my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are top and bottom plan views of the elevator-car, showing the ladder in cross-section.

In the drawings, A is the building. (1 is aprojecting track, secured to the side of the building by the brackets e. A roller-head, at, having rollers 0 0 in it, is adapted to roll on the track d. A pulley is hung on the front of the head a, over which the cord 11 runs. The ladder h is hung to the roller-head a by the bolt 1), so that it may be swung laterally. It has a swinging motion to and from the building on the track dl A cordor rope, m, is secured to the roller-head, whereby, if need be, the ladder may be moved to different positions without the aid of the rope n.

The elevator-car I), made preferably of noncombustible materials, extends from the front and sides of the ladders, and has secured to it the guides y y, which fit the T-shaped front edges of the ladder-bars, and are adapted to slide freely thereon, whereby the car is held in a secure position against the ladder. The rope n is secured by one end to the car b, and

passes over said pulley in the head a, and

thence to the ground, whereby, the car is drawn upward. The car is provided with a hand-lever, c, hung near its bottom, which is connected to the end of a stop-bolt, 10, which is hung in suitablesupports under the bottom of the car; and by a spring, 8, said bolt is made to slide between the rungs. of the ladder and prevent the car from being moved either up or down. A hook, w, is located on the border of the car, whereby lever 0 may be secured, so as to draw bolt to and hold it from engagement. with the ladder. -A second lever, 0, is hung to the car in similar manner to lever c, and its lower end is connected to two angle levers or braces, z z, and the latter are secured to two bPELkGtShOS, H, which are fitted to slide on the ladder-bars. When the car is descending, persons within it can, by operating the lever c and said brake'shoes, govern the descent of the car independent of the action of persons who may have hold of the rope a, and prevent the car from falling.

By the use of this apparatus persons may have both ladder and car passed before any part of the wall of the building over which the track 01 extends, and persons may descend either by the ladder or in the car, and the movement of the car up and downdoes not prevent the use of the ladder, for persons may pass up and down on the rear side thereof. Thus, while the car may be in use for bringing persons down'from windows in the building, firemen may make use of the'ladder.

This apparatus is designed to be permanently hung'upon the track d, and can be rolled back to some unfrequentedcorner of the building, under some suitable cover, and from thence be quickly brought out when needed.

It will be observed that the ladder h is always in position to be used, and no delay in bringing it into working position can occur, as is the case with ordinary ladders, by reason of lines of telegraph-wires, which oftentimes extend opposite the wall of the building.

WVhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In combination-with the projecting track d, the roller-head a, the ladder h, pivoted to said roller-head and having T-shaped bars,

a i i the car I), having the guides 1 y thereon, and means, substantially as described, for moving said car up an d down,substantially as set forth. 2. The combinatiomwith thelztdder h, of the 5 car I), having the guides 3 y thereon, the lever c, the bolt w, and the spring 8, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the ladder h, having T-shaped bars, of the car I), having the guides 7 y thereon, the lever c, the angle- 10 braces z z, and the brake-shoes t t, substantially as set forth.

JOSHUA C. STODDARD. Vitnesses:

H. A. CHAPIX, R. F. HYDE. 

